Cincinnati Bengals vs. Cleveland Browns: Full Report Card Grades for Cincinnati
Few questions remain about the Cincinnati Bengals after a 30-0 win over the Cleveland Browns in Week 15.
Andy Dalton and the Bengals are free of recent demons in the form of an embarrassment at the hands of these same Browns earlier in the season. They are also free of the notion that the team cannot win games that matter.
Cleveland did start rookie Johnny Manziel under center, but the Bengals were elite on the defensive side of the football regardless. The line found home plenty of times and forced a few turnovers.
Really, though, Sunday was the Jeremy Hill show. The rookie is now undoubtedly the full-time starter after an epic performance against the shaky Browns defense.
A few of the critical puzzle pieces the Bengals need for a postseason push seemed to emerge Sunday on the road—just in time, too.
Within, let's dish out grades for each positional unit based on performance—not just in a statistical sense, but in an overall sense in how each piece played a role in the critical win.
Quarterback: C
1 of 10
Andy Dalton is fortunate the backfield behind him was on fire Sunday in Cleveland because he put up a horrible first half.
He misfired on deep passes consistently in the first half; Rotoworld's Patrick Daugherty described the worst:
"Andy Dalton is so bad. A.J. Green smokes Joe Haden on the inside, Dalton fades to outside. Should have been picked.
— Patrick Daugherty (@RotoPat) December 14, 2014"
Johnny Manziel’s debut overshadowed the performance, but it is hard to argue Dalton was better than his three-interception performance against the Browns earlier this season.
He finished with a 13-of-23 mark for 104 yards and an interception. When the backs play well behind him, it can be easy to forgive Dalton for his issues, but it is difficult to not think about how the outcome of this game would have changed if the Bengals were forced to the air.
Grade: C
Running Back: A+
2 of 10
Jeremy Hill took things over early Sunday in Cleveland and never looked back.
After the staff threw support behind him early in the week, the rookie exploded to help the Bengals to the most first-quarter rushing yards the team has had in five years. By the start of the second quarter, it was apparent the coaches were right to make him the starter, as ESPN.com's Coley Harvey points out:
"Jeremy Hill's line at the start of the 2nd Q is one #Bengals would have taken for a full game the last 2 yrs: 13 carries, 93 yds, 2 TDs
— Coley Harvey (@ColeyHarvey) December 14, 2014"
Hill finished with 25 carries for 148 yards and the two scores. Complement Giovani Bernard wound up with 15 attempts for 79 yards and another three catches and 24 yards through the air. Even Rex Burkhead got in on the action with a late touchdown.
The most notable part of this was the usage for Bernard, who was fresh late in the game. That will prove most valuable in the coming weeks.
Grade: A+
Wide Receiver and Tight End: B
3 of 10
A.J. Green now holds bragging rights over Cleveland corner Joe Haden.
Green torched Haden early and often in the first half Sunday before Haden left with an injury and did not return. It will not show on the stat sheet, though, as Green finished with five catches for 49 yards while his quarterback struggled to find the mark.
Ryan Hewitt is a bit of an unknown name, but he stepped up in a big way Sunday with Jermaine Gresham out of the lineup. ESPN.com's Coley Harvey describes his usage:
"Well, if the #Bengals don't end up re-signing Jermaine Gresham, you're seeing a nice glimpse of the future: Ryan Hewitt used in pass and run
— Coley Harvey (@ColeyHarvey) December 14, 2014"
Hewitt wound up second in receiving with 34 yards and a one-handed grab that will make the highlight rounds.
In a run-first approach, it is hard to complain about the lack of production from the ground. Green and Co. did their parts well, whether it shows in the box score or not.
Grade: B
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Offensive Line: B
4 of 10
The Cincinnati offensive line put on a show Sunday.
Thanks to the addition of Eric Winston, even the loss of tight end Jermaine Gresham as a blocker did not hurt the offense on its way to 244 total rushing yards.
Things were not perfect in pass protection. Andy Dalton was sacked twice; Paul Dehner Jr. of Cincinnati.com illustrated a notable one:
"Russell Bodine can't hold the block on that third down. Bryant slipped right by him.
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) December 14, 2014"
As a whole, though, the line played well in various looks with moving parts. Things seem to be coming together in all phases now that right tackle Marshall Newhouse is back to a rotational role, if that.
Grade: B
Defensive Line: A
5 of 10
The Cincinnati defensive line took care of business Sunday against a rookie quarterback.
Carlos Dunlap and others were able to keep Johnny Manziel mostly contained and notched three sacks in the process. Some of the pressures, including notable plays by Wallace Gilberry and Will Clarke, also led to turnovers.
An offside penalty wiped out an interception in the second quarter, but even interior players such as Brandon Thompson posted notable plays to help keep the Browns in check.
Dunlap etched his name at the top of the stat sheet thanks to six total tackles and his lone sack, while Thompson was busy with three tackles and a quarterback hit.
Any way observers view this one, it was the top performance by the line this year. If it continues in future weeks, the Bengals are in business.
Grade: A
Linebacker: B
6 of 10
Rey Maualuga and the Cincinnati linebackers put forth a strong effort in Cleveland.
When the only major negative is a taunting flag, they played well:
"VIDEO: Bengals LB Rey Maualuga flagged for taunting Johnny Manziel with “money” sign. http://t.co/jJiQuZaJna pic.twitter.com/56dVogxvRn
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 14, 2014"
It was a silly move by a veteran player, which Maualuga will surely hear about from the staff and media in the coming weeks.
Still, he finished with six total tackles. Vincent Rey posted six as well and once again proved to be a key cog in a unit that will be without Vontaze Burfict the rest of the way.
Grade: B
Secondary: A
7 of 10
Sunday was a good time for Terence Newman to miss a game.
The Cincinnati secondary held up well without the veteran, thanks to some iffy decisions by Cleveland rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel.
ESPN.com's Coley Harvey illustrates the first interception of the day:
"Nice read by Dre Kirkpatrick. Broke at the right time on Johnny Manziel's throw. That's his 1st pick of the year. #Bengals controlling game
— Coley Harvey (@ColeyHarvey) December 14, 2014"
Adam Jones followed up with one late in the second half for good measure. The most notable development was the play by Dre Kirkpatrick, a young player in need of that sort of experience.
Perhaps the most unheralded Cincinnati player of the day was Reggie Nelson, who was in on several key plays and finished with four total tackles.
Grade: A
Special Teams: A
8 of 10
Light days of work are the best days of work for kickers and punters.
Mike Nugent and Kevin Huber are happy with Sunday's outcome, then. The former hit on all three of his attempts, and the latter took the field just twice.
Kick coverage was another bright spot for the unit, as explosive Cleveland returners such as Travis Benjamin never made a huge impact.
Brandon Tate and the Cincinnati returners had a similar day. It is important to note, though, that Adam Jones did not play that role Sunday, thanks to the aforementioned injury to Terence Newman.
There has not been a major special teams hiccup of note over the past month and change, so Sunday went as expected.
Grade: A
Coaching: A
9 of 10
Hats off to the Cincinnati coaching staff.
Marvin Lewis and Co. need more vanilla performances such as Sunday, when they called few trick plays. Straight runs and quick passes proved to be crucial to the win in Cleveland.
A gutsy call by Lewis on fourth down in the first quarter was a highlight. The decision got a conversion that led to points on the board.
ESPN.com's Coley Harvey noted an improvement by offensive coordinator Hue Jackson early:
"This is one of the best-called drives Hue Jackson has had this year. Ball moving well because of nice runs and well-timed slants/screens
— Coley Harvey (@ColeyHarvey) December 14, 2014"
Sometimes, vanilla just works. The decision to promote Hill masks weakness on offense, and the defense continues to adapt and let other players such as Will Clarke get in the mix. If the coaches come out with a similar approach in the coming weeks, the Bengals stand a fighting chance.
Grade: A
Final Grades
10 of 10
| Positional Unit | Overall Grade |
| QB | C |
| RB | A+ |
| WR/TE | B |
| OL | B |
| DL | A |
| LB | B |
| Secondary | A |
| Special Teams | A |
| Coaching | A |
| Cumulative Grade | A |
A tough debut by Johnny Manziel overshadowed the fact Andy Dalton put forth a miserable effort Sunday in Cleveland.
Other than that, the Bengals were on fire and got a much-needed win after a devastating loss. The offensive line looks improved, and the defensive line seems to have finally found a groove. Furthermore, Jeremy Hill is clearly the answer.
In great form and with a semblance of revenge in hand, the Bengals now turn their attention to Monday Night Football for a showdown with the Denver Broncos.
All stats and info courtesy of ESPN.com as of 4 p.m. ET on Dec. 14 unless otherwise specified.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
